Salvaging apparatus for submarines



April 1931- J. ca. GONZALEZ ET AL 1,801,232

SALVAGING APPARATUS FOR SUBMARINES Original Filed March 5, 1929 '3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOM Jul! 9 G. Gavzz 01::

m0) Dari/d WRNEY;

April 14,1931- .1. cs. GONZATLEZ ET AL 1,801,232

SALVAGING APPARATUS FOR SUBMARINES Original Filed March 5, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 N VEN TORS $.59 avzz o/ez Rama/z .Dara'la Z TTORNEY? E- il- April 14, 1931. J. G. GoNzALEz ET AL 1,301,232

, SALVAGING APPARATUS FOR SUBMARINES Original Filed March 5, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS -f05e Garrzp/ez BY Rama/7 Dan'a & i HORNE);

' Patented Apr. 14, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOSE G. GONZALEZ AND RAMON DAVILA, OF VILLA CECILIA, MEXICO SALVAGING APPARATUS FOR SUBMARINES Itefile of abandoned application Serial No. 344,135, filed. March 5, 1929. This application filed July 26, 1930. Serial No. 471,033.

This invention relates to a new and useful device in the nature of a submarine life saving and salvaging apparatus.

r The object of the invention is to provide a buoyant member similar to a comparatively small submarine having ameans of self-propulsion and navigableand adapted to accommodate a number of persons. The said buoyant member is provided with a means of readily attaching and detaching same from a submarine, which is also provided with a means adapted to attach the buoyant member thereto, the said buoyant member being de- 15 tached from the submarine, when the submarine is disabled and sunk, after the occupants of the submarine had entered the buoyant member.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a means of releasing from the said buoyant member a buoy or marker secured to the submarine, for the purpose of enabling a rescuing party to readily locate and salvage the sunken submarine.

25 Othenpertinent objects will become apparent 1n the following description, ap-

pended claims and in the accompanying drawings.

Fig.1 illustrates our improved apparatus as same would appear when in use.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal central sectional view of our improved apparatus showing same attached to a submarine.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal central sectional view of the device adapted to attach and detach our improved buoyant member to a submarine.

Fig. 4 is a vertical central sectional view of the air supply device as embodied in our 40 improved buoyant member.

' Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the surface indicator as embodied in our improved buoyant member.

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of the buoy 45 and release mechanism as embodied in our improved buoyant member showing same in an attached position.

Fig. 7 is a similar view to that shown in Fig. 6, showing the buoy a released or in 50 use position. The hull 10 of an ordinary, conventional submarine has formed therein at the upper portion thereof an opening 11. A cover 12 adapted to enclose or cover the opening 11 is secured to the outer surface of the hull 10 by means of a plurality of threaded members 13, and by means of a hand wheel 14 threadedly attached to the extended extremity of a pin 15 pivotally attached as at 17 to brackets 18 and 19 secured to the cover 12. The hand wheel 14 engages a yoke 20, secured as at 21 and 22 to the inner surface of the hull 10 in proximity to the opening 11.

A ring member 23 of circular ring-like construction is provided with a lower flanged element 24 adapted to receive rivets 25 or the like as a means of attaching the member 23 to the outer surface of the hull 10, and is positioned so as to encircle the opening 11 and cover 12. The member 23.is provided with an upper flanged element 26 adapted to coincide with a similar flanged element 27 of a ring member 28 secured to the outer lower portion 29 of the hull of our improved buoyant member. The ring member 28 is provided with an upper flanged element 30 adapted to receive rivets 31 or the like as a means of attaching the ring member 28 to the hull 29. A washer 32 is positioned intermediate the flanged elements 26 and 27 for the purpose of excluding water.

A pair or rods 33 and 34 are rotatively mounted in bearings 35 and 36 secured to the inner surface of the hull 29. The rods 33 and 34 extend outwardly from the hull 29 and are provided with a pair of side extended elements 37 and 38 positioned somewhat below and above the flanged elements 26 and 27. A pair of rollers 39 and 40 are rotatively secured to the extremities of the extended elements 37 and 38 and are adapted to engage in arc shape grooves 41 and 42formed in the flanged elements 26 and 27. A pair of levers 43 are secured to the upper extremities of the rods 33 and 34, and are provided with extended handle elements 44. Engaging levers 45 are pivotally attached intermediately as at 46 to the levers 43' and are provided with pointed extremities 46 adapted to engage in teeth 47 or serrations formed in the bearings 35 and 36. The latter described construction is such as will securely hold the rollers 39 and40-in engagement with the grooves 41 and 42 as a means of securely attaching our improved buoyant member to the submarine, and also such as will permit the rods 33 and 34 when partially rotated by the levers 43 and 44 to disengage the said rollers with the said grooves as a means of detaching ourimproved buoyant member from the submarine.

An auxiliary means for holding the buoyant member on the submarineis shown generally by the numerals 34, consisting of rods 34 rotatively' mounted thru the buoyant member and threadedly secured on the sub marine.

The lower portion 29 of the hull of our improved buoyant member has formed therein an opening 48 positioned inside'the ring member 28, in alignment with the opening 11 formed in the hull 10 of the submarine. A cover 49 adapted to enclose or cover the opening'48 is secured as at 50 by threaded members to theinner surface of the lower portion 29 of the hull of our improved buoyant member. A rod 51 is threadedly mounted in a yoke 52 secured as at 53 and 54 by threaded members to the inner surface of'the hull 29 and has secured thereto at its upper extremity a hand wheel 53. The latter described construction is such as will permit the lower extremity of the rod .51 to engage the cover 49 as a means of securely holding the cover 49 in place.

The above described construction is such as will permit the occupants of the submarine to enter our improved buoyant member through the openings 11 and 48, and also such as will permit the occupants to detach the buoyant member as above set forth.

It is understood that our improved buoyant member is constructed similar to the conventional submarine and is provided with an internal combustion motor 54 operatively connected to av propeller 55. The said buoyant member isalso provided with the usual rudder 56:operatively connected to the usual tiller 57 as a means of steering our improved buoyant member.

In Fig. 5 we have shown a surface indicator comprising a vertical gauge glass 58 of tubu lar construction mounted intermediate the shut-off valves 59 and 60, connected by means of suitable fittings 61 and 61 and by a pipe 62 to the outer surface of the side of the hull 63 of our improved buoyant member. The abovedescribed construction is such aswill permit'the water in which the buoyant memberis floating to enter the said gauge glass. In event the buoyant member is floating. on the said water the water level will show in the gauge glass 58 as designated by the reference numeral 64, indicating to the occupants that the buoyant member is floating on the surfaceand that. the said occupants may leave the buoyant member through the cover 65 pivotally attached as at 66 to the upper portion 67 of the hull of the said buoyant member.

Tn Fig. 4 we have shown an air supply device comprising a housing 68 secured as at 69 by the threaded nut to the surface of the upper portion 67 of the hull of the buoyant member and extended upwardly therefrom. The housing 68 is substantially of tubular construction and is provided with an enlarged extremity 69 adapted to slidably receive the plug 70. The plug 7 0 is of hollowconstruction and is provided with a closed top and bottom 71 and 72. A pair of pins 7 3 are positioned in apertures formed in the enlarged extremity 69 of the housing 68 and are provided with inwardly extended extremities 74 adapted to engage in elongated openings 75 formed in the plug 70 as a means of preventing the rotation of the plug 70. -A rod 76 is provided with a threaded extremity 7 7. adapted to engage in a threaded aperture formed on the plug 72. The cap 78 is threadedly secured to the inner extremity of the housing 68 and has formed therein an apertureadapted to receive the rod 76. The rod 76 is extended inwardly from the cap 7 8 and has secured thereto at its inwardly extended extremity a hand wheel 79.

The abovedescribed construction is such as will permit the plug 70 when extended as designated by the reference numeral: 80 by the rotation of the hand wheel 79 to allow air to enter through the opening 81 formed in the enlarged extremity 69. of the housing 68 and the openings 82 formed in the cap 78 into the buoyant member for the purpose of ventilation when the buoyant member is afloat.

In Figs. 6 and 7 we'have shown a buoy-re lease mechanism comprising a housing consisting of a pair of members 83 and 84 of hollow semi-spherical construction secured together as at 85 and secured as at 86 to the outer surface of the hull10 of the submarine. A flexible member 86 is wound onland secured to a spool: 87 .rotatively mounted in the housing and is extended therefrom through an opening 88 formed in the housing and is further extended as at 89' through a tubular member 90. The tubular member 90 is secured at one extremity to a support 91 pivotally attached as at 92 to a bracket 93 secured as at 94 to the housing. The tubular member 90 has secured thereto at its extended extremity a clip 95 adapted to normally engage the flanged element 96 of a support 97. A pair of rods 98 and 99 are secured by pins 100, 101

and 102 respectively to the engagement lever 103 and tothe lug elements 104 and 105 of the bracket 106 secured as at 107 tothe hull of the buoyant member. The lever 103'is pivotally attached as at 108 to the support 97 and is provided with an extended extremity adapted to normally engage in a notch formed in the clip 109 secured to the extended portion 89 of the flexible member 86 directly above the tubular member 90. The flexible member 86 is further extended from the tubular member 90 as at 110 through an opening 111 formed in the support 97 and has secured thereto at its extended extremity a buoy 112. The buoy 112 is of hollow spherical construction so as to provide a buoyant member. The support 97 is provided. with an extended extremity 113 slidably engaged in an opening 114 formed in the bracket 106, and is normally thus held by the above mentioned rods 98 and 99. A rod 115 is provided with a threaded extremity 116 adapted to en gage in a threaded aperture 116 formed in the bracket 106 and is rotatively mounted in a bracket 117 secured to the inner surface of the hull of the buoyant member. The bracket 1 117 is provided with a stuiflng nut 118 and the usual packing gland, not shown in the accompanyin drawing, for the purpose of preventing a leakage of water into the hull. A hand wheel 119 is secured to the inner ex tended extremity of the rod 115.

The above described construction is such as will permit the occupants of the buoyant member by means of the manipulation of the hand wheel to release the buoy as clearly shown in Fig. 7, so as to allow the buoy to float to the surface of the water and function as a marker for the purpose of enabling a rescuing party to readily locate the sunken submarine.

The pins 101 and 102 are of very soft metal and shear when the screw 116 is advanced, for permitting the support 97 to be moved forward so that the lever 103 releases the clip 109 and permits the buoy 112 to rise. It is necessary to engage new pins 101 and 102 into the device upon a reloading of the buoy. The extended extremity 113 engaging in the open ing 11 1 guides the separation of the support 97 and bracket 106 so that both pins 101 and 102 must break upon extension of the screw 116, and preventing the support 97 from swinging out of the path of motion of screw 116 upon the breaking of one of said pins.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is 1. In combination with a buoyant member connected with a submarine, aflexible member wound on a spool rotatively mounted on the submarine and extending thru a tubular member terminating adjacent said buoyant member and supporting a clip normally resting on said tubular member, a bracket on the outside of said buoyant member and formed with lugs and with a lateral opening, a support element with an extended extremity slidably engaging said opening, a lever pivoted on said support element and engaging in a notch in said clip for holding said flexible member against extension, a pair of levers pivoted on said lever at one of their ends and I on said lugs at other ends, said flexible member above said clip extending thru an opening formed in said support element and con nected with a buoy, and a screw turnable from the inside of said buoyant member and threadedly passing thru said bracket and abutting said support element so that upon extension to break the connection between said pair of levers and the lugs to free said flexible member from said buoyant member.

2. In combination with a buoyant member connected with a submarine, a flexible member wound on a spool rotatively mounted on the submarine and extending thru a tubular member terminating adjacent said buoyant member and supporting a clip normally resting on said tubular member, a bracket on the outside of said buoyant member and formed with lugs and with a lateral opening, a support element with an extended extremity slidably engaging said opening, a lever pivoted on said support element and engaging in a notch in said clip for holding said flexible member against extension, a pair of levers pivoted on said lever at one of their ends and on said lugs at other ends, said flexible member above said clip extending thru an opening formed in said support element and connected with a buoy, and coacting means on said bracket and within said buoyant member for moving said support element so as to break the connection between said pair of levers and the lugs to free said flexible member from said buoyant member.

In testimony whereof we have afiixed our signatures.

JOSE G. GONZALEZ. RAMON DAVILA.

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